Emergency Support For Washington Farmers

Emergency Support For Washington Farmers

2011’s excessive rains, flooding, below normal temperatures, high winds, frosts, and freezes inflicted severe losses on Washington farmers; particularly orchardists, as well as grape, vegetable, hay, and wheat producers. The U.S. Department of Agriculture has now designated fifteen counties in Washington as primary natural disaster areas. Senator Maria Cantwell, along with Senator Patty Murray, wrote to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last August supporting the Governor‘s request for immediate disaster designations stemming from the weather-related losses, and is encouraging producers who are eligible in these areas to apply for USDA emergency assistance or aid.

CANTWELL: The USDA has now given a disaster designation for Washington state in about fifteen counties. So that means Washington farmers can now apply for some assistance to help them rebuild after last years losses due to severe weather.

In addition to the fifteen counties designated as primary natural disaster areas, twenty additional counties have been named as contiguous disaster counties. For more information contact your local FSA office.

The WSDA ‘s International Marketing Program will be offering free export consulting seminars in April to help small businesses interested in exporting food and agricultural products. Those businesses interested must sign up by February 17th. Contact Cameron Crump, international trade specialist with the WSDA, at 360-902-1940.


I’m Lacy Gray and that’s Washington Ag Today on the Northwest Ag Information Network. 

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